Las Vegas: a place with more clay poker chips than many small nations. It is an internationally renowned resort city, the most populous in Nevada and the largest of all American cities founded in the 20th century.
Nicknamed Sin City due to its tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment, Las Vegas was initially named by the Spanish at Antonio Armijo’s party. Apparently, the Las Vegas Valley back then contained wells, extensive grassy areas, and prairies. The Spanish word for meadow is “vegas”, hence the name.
In the early 1900s, Las Vegas became a popular stopover for pioneers traveling to the West Coast, as well as a starting point for miners in the area. The use of rail systems slowed the development of Las Vegas somewhat, however, the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1935 attracted a fair amount of tourism.
It was in 1931 that the state of Nevada legalized gambling, as poker items became a symbol of the city. The legalization of gambling led to the casino-hotel, an establishment for which Las Vegas is famous. Thanks in large part to organized crime, a lot of development began in the city, as most of the big casinos were run or financed by mobsters.
In the 1960s, Howard Hughes and other legitimate corporations began buying up casino-hotels, bringing a wave of legitimacy to Sin City.
The city of Las Vegas does not have a major sports team, despite being larger than most cities that do. Although they have hosted events like the NBA All-Star Game, concerns about legal sports betting have prevented most leagues from establishing a franchise in the area.
However, the city is home to the World Series of Poker (WSOP), a plethora of different world-renowned poker tournaments. The tournament has grown slowly since its star at the Horseshoe Casino in 1970, peaking in 2006 with nearly 9,000 entrants.
The most identifiable symbol of Las Vegas… besides the clay poker chips… is the Las Vegas Strip. Just over four miles long, “The Strip” is the location of most of the city’s largest hotels, casinos, and resorts. It stretches from Russell Road, where The Four Seasons Hotel & Casino is located, to Sahara Avenue, where The Stratosphere is located. It has some of the most famous casino-hotels, such as The Flamingo, The Riviera, Caesars Palace, Circus Circus, The Mirage, Excalibur, Treasure Island, Mandalay Bay and the largest casino in the city, The MGM Grand.